because I am separated from God

Series: BROKEN!

Title: Broken because I am Separated from God by Sin

Passage: Ephesians 1:3-14

SERIES IDEAS -

DIAGRAM:

TEXTUAL VARIANCES:

PERSONAL EXEGESIS:

MAIN POINT

COMMENTARY WORK

HNTC

In the past  - God blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ

1. He chose us
2. Made us holy and blameless in His sight – doesn’t mean we do not sin, but simply that all sin for God’s people is already paid for.  We will never lose the status of righteousness that we have before Him because he knowingly paid the penalty.  It is from the moment we are saved throughout eternity. 
3. He made us full-fledged children by adoption – given the same rights of one naturally born. 

In the present “In Him we have…” (7-12)

1. We are redeemed – a buying back or paying the ransom for – A payment is made to gain someone’s freedom
2. We are forgiven – because the penalty is paid by Christ.  There is no unpunished sin left to punish.
3. We are enlightened – God made known to us the mystery of His will.  The mystery is the authority of Christ.  We have been given insight into God’s plan of making Jesus the pinnacle of being.  All things will be summed up in Christ.  It will all be brought under the single headship of Christ.  The word for summed up is anakefalaioomai – speaking of headship. 
4. We are enriched – We have obtained an inheritance

In the future –

1. marked with a seal by the holy Spirit – indicates authority, authenticity, and security – validation of ownership.  We are not imposters and we are under His protection
2. We have received a deposit or down payment guaranteeing our inheritance in Christ – guaranteeing our final release from sin

Wiersbe

Chosen – before the foundations of the earth – He chose us, not on merit, but on the basis of his infinite love.

Predestination – God has predestined our adoption, our conformity to Christ, and our future inheritance

He made us acceptable before Him

PREACHING POINTS

ILLUSTRATIONS

Duck acting like a dog in HNTC pg 90.

Wiersbe quotes a professor of his - “Try to explain election and you may lose your mind. But try to explain it away and you may lose your soul!”[1]

RELEVANT TEXTS

Romans 8:1-17, " Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

Galatians 4:1-7, "What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir."

Ephesians 1:3-14, " Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory."

1 John 3:1, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him."

APPLICATIONS

OUTLINE

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[1]Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. (Eph 1:3). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.